Digs in Volleyball: Fundamental Techniques for Successful Defense by Las Vegas Based Coach April

Digs in Volleyball: Fundamental Techniques for Successful Defense by Las Vegas Based Coach April Chapple
This guide is designed to help players learn how to use their forearms to create a strong platform that deflects an attack and improves your digs in volleyball.
Welcome to my article dedicated to mastering the art of improving your digs in volleyball.
In this "how to" digging volleyball guide, I explain defense techniques and strategies to enhance your digging skills, with a focus on utilizing your forearms to keep attack hits off the floor.
Whether you're a beginner looking to learn the fundamentals or an experienced player aiming to improve your technique, my guide will provide valuable insights to help you excel in digging.
Tips For Better Digs In Volleyball: Use Forearms To Keep Attack Hits Off The Floor
The act of getting more digs in volleyball means using your forearms as a platform to deflect or redirect a hard attack hit in the air, preventing it from landing on your team's court floor.
This defensive skill requires proper technique, knowing how to be in the right spot at the right time and quick reflexes to react swiftly to the opposing team's attacks.
The action of digging a ball is modeled after shoveling or digging something out of the ground with a shovel.
So in other words let me ask you again.
What is the definition of a dig in volleyball?
The dig is a digging volleyball skill
-used by a player in defense to
-keep the ball off the team's court floor
-using their forearms to deflect the ball back in the air
-once it has been attacked by an opposing team's hitter into your court.
How to Dig in Volleyball: Step-by-Step Guide
To understand the technique of digging in volleyball, let's break it down into several key steps:
1. Proper Body Positioning and Footwork
Begin by positioning yourself with a low and balanced stance, slightly bending your knees.
Be light on your feet, ready to move in any direction.
Positioning yourself while maintaining a balanced body position enables you to react swiftly to the incoming attacked ball.
2. Hand Placement
Utilize the forearm pass, also known as the bump, as the standard technique for a dig.
Clasp your hands together, creating a flat surface with your forearms. This forms the platform to absorb the impact of the ball and direct it back into the air.
3. Reacting to the Attack: BSBH
When the opposing team is in serve receive,
BALL
-you should watch the ball passed by the passer that travels to the setter so you can read and interpret what the setter has to do in order to get to the pass
SETTER
-then watch the setter's movements to see how they can get to the ball, if its easily or if they have to move to chase the ball down after a bad pass and that will tell you if the setter can set all their hitters or if they can only set one or two of their hitters
BALL
-then train your eyes quickly back to the ball's trajectory out of the setter's hands to see if its a high ball outside or delivered low, fast and quick to the middle or to the opposite hitter behind them so you can adjust your feet quickly to get to your adjusted position outside the shadow of your blockers where you can see the hitter's arm when it hits the ball
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